BASIS - how long to figure out if school was a good fit for your child?

[Anonymous]

I'd love to hear from both parents who know that BASIS is a good fit for their kids and parents who discovered it was not a good fit - how long did it take you to figure this out? Did you know in a couple of weeks, months or did it take a whole year?

[Anonymous]

OP here - I should also add - I'd also be interested in hearing how long it took your kids to figure out if it was a good fit for them? That is if you have a sense for that.

[Anonymous]

Is your child in 5th grade or 6th grade in their first year at BASIS? If so, I would expect it to take at least several months to get used to the routine at BASIS. I would also do a fair amount of hand holding by checking their CJ and subject handouts/notes/homework every night to help with organization and with tips on how to do homework successfully if needed.

Now if your kid is crying every night or totally overwhelmed then it might not be a good fit but I would try to trouble shoot first and do some hand holding. You could also meet with teachers or email them if you need suggestions for success.

[Anonymous]

Starting our second year and still waiting for the warm fuzzies to kick in. Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth. Very appreciative to have gotten a spot via the lottery.

[Anonymous]

It was definitely weeks to months. First month was definitely an adjustment unless they have friends from elementary school. The kids make friends in first few weeks which helps. Agree with advice to help for a couple weeks and be sure they are not falling behind on CJ assignments.

[Anonymous]

Agree with above.

Joining an extra curricular activity or club also helps kids find a niche. I think the extracurricular catalog will come out by end of this week and those activities will get going in next week or two.

[Anonymous]

I would say it always felt like a good fit for two of my three kids. I think the third child has more trouble focusing. It is a good fit for her because she likes the materials and several teachers. It is a not so great fit in that she is struggles a little with organization and likes more outdoors activities. Overall it was not a matter of time to check the fit but a matter of 3 to 6 months to get a really good system down. Lots of ups and downs he first year/ first 3 marking periods. Overall they have b and a averages but it took a while to acclimate.

As someone above mentioned extra curriculars such as science club in our case, were stand out parts of school life.

[Anonymous]

OP - what is your child telling you? Is he/she concerned or unhappy with the class work or homework? Teachers? For many students it's a much more diverse school than they were used to - racially and economically - and the building is pretty crowded.

Go to the parent orientation event next week for your child's grade - you will be grouped by your kid's section and each teacher will give a quick overview of their plans for the year and policies. It is also a good way to meet other parents in your kid's section

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned hand holding for first few weeks. Actually you may likely need to do that for first few years as we did to help with organization and to give tips and to make sure assignments were started and completed in timely manner. It has paid off and he has needed less and less hand holding since then. Also the CJ is used for communication between teacher and parent so it is important to check daily so you could see if there is any missing homework, tardies, etc. Grades for tests and quizzes are also placed in the CJ.

[Anonymous]

At least through mid- October. Have one kid it was right for and one kid it wasn't. The right for kid is still there and did struggle the first few weeks. The other kid had great friends and liked their teachers but was considering leaving after about that time and left after the first year.

[Anonymous]

Took through the first grading period in 5th grade. Very hard ramping up to homework and changing classes and fitting extracurriculars in and lot of hard work and stress and then . . . good grades to show that it all pays off. Started to relax and focus on the important things/hardest classes and not worry about everything. Realized homework was for practice, not for grades. Enjoyed great teachers who really knew their subject. Still there and no plans to move for high school.

[Anonymous]

Took much longer to realize that it wasn't a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - what is your child telling you? Is he/she concerned or unhappy with the class work or homework? Teachers? For many students it's a much more diverse school than they were used to - racially and economically - and the building is pretty crowded.

Go to the parent orientation event next week for your child's grade - you will be grouped by your kid's section and each teacher will give a quick overview of their plans for the year and policies. It is also a good way to meet other parents in your kid's section

Would you advise leaving your child at home or is it okay to bring your child to this event?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone mentioned hand holding for first few weeks. Actually you may likely need to do that for first few years as we did to help with organization and to give tips and to make sure assignments were started and completed in timely manner. It has paid off and he has needed less and less hand holding since then. Also the CJ is used for communication between teacher and parent so it is important to check daily so you could see if there is any missing homework, tardies, etc. Grades for tests and quizzes are also placed in the CJ.

My child's CJ is already in terrible shape. Several pages have fallen out. Is there a anyway we can get another CJ? I realize it is going to cost but I do not see this CJ making it past September.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone mentioned hand holding for first few weeks. Actually you may likely need to do that for first few years as we did to help with organization and to give tips and to make sure assignments were started and completed in timely manner. It has paid off and he has needed less and less hand holding since then. Also the CJ is used for communication between teacher and parent so it is important to check daily so you could see if there is any missing homework, tardies, etc. Grades for tests and quizzes are also placed in the CJ.

My child's CJ is already in terrible shape. Several pages have fallen out. Is there a anyway we can get another CJ? I realize it is going to cost but I do not see this CJ making it past September.

Yes. I'd talk to one of the front office staff. Hopefully they have extras. Or just buy a similar agenda/planner at Staples. Only the cover is BASIS specific.